Chateau La Grave Cahors 2023

The 2023 Château La Grave Cahors is a robust, deeply structured red that channels the appellation's storied "black wine" heritage, offering a tightly coiled, full-bodied expression of pure Malbec from the Southwest of France.

The estate belongs to Philippe Bernède, part of one of Cahors' most established winemaking families and longtime proprietor of the well-known Clos La Coutale, a fixture on Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant's list for more than thirty years. Château La Grave was acquired to pursue a different vision within the appellation: a 100% Malbec Cahors, unblended with the Merlot or Tannat most producers use to soften the grape's naturally firm tannins. The vineyard is farmed organically, and in the cellar the grapes are fermented in stainless steel with daily punch-downs before aging in large wood tanks, a process built to preserve the fruit's purity alongside the wine's earthy, old-fashioned character.

In the glass, the 2023 shows a deep, inky black-purple color and a dense, chewy structure. Aromas of dark fruit and plum mingle with notes of earth and eucalyptus, while the palate delivers ripe, juicy fruit wrapped in firm, mouth-coating tannins that reward a little patience or a hearty plate of duck confit.

Full-bodied, honest, and unmistakably Cahors, this is a wine built to cellar, with the fruit concentration and structure to soften into something even more complex over the next several years.